The present invention relates to a fixing device for a plant stake, comprising a holding device for holding a plant stake extending into the planting material to the rim of a plant container, wherein the plant stake in the region of the rim of the plant container is supported against the rim of the plant container in two directions forming an angle with one another, two retaining bars are provided which are affixable in the region of the rim of the plant container in order to support the plant stake, and the plant stake can be fixed to the retaining bars by a fixing device.
Plant stakes for supporting potted plants are usually put into the planting material, such as into potting soil or, with hydroponics, into a hydro material. The plant stakes may loosen with time and will then no longer offer reliable support for the plant. This is increasingly the case if the plant grows in a particular direction. Loosening of the rod may, however, also ensue when transporting the pot plant and above all outdoors, if the pot plant is exposed to the weather.
To overcome this problem, there have been attempts to attach the plant stakes via cords or wires by means of nails driven into a nearby wall. One of the problems associated with this method is that it will no longer be possible to move or turn the pot plant.
To fix the plant stake with respect to the plant container, it is known (from CH-A-636.748) to fasten a screw clamp to the rim of the plant container, from which former a rail departs that is directed toward the center of the plant container, the rail being urged against the rim of the plant container by means of the screw clamp. To this rail, the plant stake can be attached by a further screw clamp.
Yet, this known device has the disadvantage that the plant stake is still able to tilt to the side, as forces acting on the plant stake from the plant may only run in the direction of the rail, to enable them to be passed on into the plant container.
A fixing device for a plant stake by which the forces acting on the plant stake from all directions can be conducted into the plant container is known from CH-A-408.516. In accordance with this document, a carrying device is provided which can be clamped to the rim of the plant container and is equipped with a bracket of tubular construction projecting toward the center of the plant container. A lifting lug an be inserted into this bracket and fixed, with the lifting lug being displaceable against the bracket in the radial direction of the plant container. At its inner end, i.e. at its one end that is directed toward the center of the plant container, this lifting lug carries a jacket which is closed at its lower end and into which the plant stake can be inserted. Here, the plant stake does not come into contact with the soil of the pot plant, but via the plant stake very great forces are conducted into the bracket which is clampable to the rim of the plant container via the lifting lug, so that the bracket has to be of correspondingly rigid and stout design. This known fixing device for a plant stake is not only very complicated in construction and hence correspondingly expensive to produce, but by its bulky and stout construction will affect the appearance of the pot plant. Moreover, all of the forces are passed onward to the rim of the plant container exclusively, so that the latter has to resist a very considerable load.
A fixing device for a plant stake of the initially described kind is already known from FR-A-2 541 076. Here, two clamps are provided which can be put into position on the rim of the pot and each of which has an extension that points toward the center of the pot and serves as a guide rail for one pole each, the latter being displaceable along this guide rail in accordance with the diameter of the pot. The two poles are rigidly fastened to a cane supporting a plant stake. Thus, two poles arranged at an invariable angle to each other depart from the cane supporting the plant stake, such that the distance at which the clamps have to be fastened to the rim of the pot is rigidly prefixed.
From EP-A-0 058 738, a fixing device for a plant stake is known, consisting of a single clamp which can be affixed to the rim of the pot and from which a retaining bar projects toward the center of the pot. At its end, the retaining bar carries a pipe extension that is closed at the bottom and into which the plant stake can be inserted. Between the clamp and the retaining bar a weak spot is provided, such that in a vertically oriented plane the retaining bar can be swung horizontally about this weak spot which acts as a horizontally oriented articulated point.